Sent a payment via online banking for services I didn't receive

Miss_Moody_Pants

Sorry if this is not the right board to post this on, I searched for a while and couldn't find anything that fit my situation.

I paid for some Easter chocolate to be sent to my niece and nephew via a Facebook page. I paid a £10 deposit at the end of January to secure the order which was to be posted in time for Easter. After chasing the order the week before Easter, the seller advised that they wouldn't be able to get the order out for Easter. I asked if they could send it for the following Tuesday, no reply until two days later where she advised that she would discount the postage. Still no response as to when the order would go out, a week later the order still hadn't gone so I asked for a refund to be sent to my Paypal account on the 1st April and still I have no refund. Lots of messages sent, she keeps taking her fb page down and then bringing it back up days later. The excuse being, she's been away or ill. She's always advertising new services so I make sure I send a message when I know she's online. Yesterday I received a message asking if she could send the payment to my bank account. I told her no and that I want the money sent to my Paypal account. So far I have kept my cool in the hope that she will give me my money back.

I don't know what to do, I feel so stupid for sending the money via online banking and not using PayPal. I don't have a leg to stand on do I?

innovate

How did you pay? Paypal? Bank? I think 'bank' but your post is confusing.

If you paid by Paypal, insist on the refund coming to Paypal. If necessary, ask Paypal for help.

If you paid by bank transfer, accept the refund back to your bank. Do not give out any data other than your sort code and account number. They do not need anything else to send you a refund.

Miss_Moody_Pants

I paid by online banking but insisted on PayPal refund so I didn't have to give out my account details. I'm not sure why it's taken from the 1st April to now for her to decide she wants to refund my bank account rather than by PayPal. It all seems a bit fishy to me. I could kick myself for not using PayPal.

I sent an email tonight asking her to give me a date when the refund will be processed by. So far I have chased every day since the 1st April. She assures me she's going to refund me but not sure if she's waiting for me to give up hope of ever receiving it.

matttye

If you paid from your bank I don't see how you can refuse to be refunded back into your bank. She can't do anything with just your sort code and account number. It's the long number, expiry date and security code that allow people to take money from your account.

Hominu

Sounds like the vendor is offering to refund via the original transaction method (bank transfer) and you are refusing.

You can't easily refund via Paypal if you didn't send the payment via Paypal. It would have to be another payment which may incur charges for the sender or receiver. A Paypal refund, on the other hand, is always free for both parties.

matttye wrote: »

She can't do anything with just your sort code and account number.

Not technically correct. If you give me your sort code and account number, I can setup a direct debit on your account to a charity, or pay off my credit card bill for example, although if I did the later, chances are someone would be knocking down my front door and giving the other person a full refund.

Miss_Moody_Pants

I'll give her my account details and see if she'll refund me by the end of the week. But it has taken her from the 1st April until now for her to ask for my bank details instead of using my PayPal account.

Miss_Moody_Pants

She could set up direct debits on my account if she wanted to. DD originators don't have to check the payee's address details.

matttye

Hominu wrote: »

Not technically correct. If you give me your sort code and account number, I can setup a direct debit on your account to a charity, or pay off my credit card bill for example, although if I did the later, chances are someone would be knocking down my front door and giving the other person a full refund.

According to the direct debit website you need to provide:

"Your name and address
Name and address of your bank or building society
Your bank or building society account number
The branch sort code of your bank or building society
The name(s) on the account."

http://www.directdebit.co.uk/DirectDebitExplained/Pages/Makingpayments.aspx

It's been a while since I set one up and I can't remember what info I was asked.

Miss_Moody_Pants

You need to provide the information but it's up to the DD Originator to check that the account details match the address and the name on the account. They don't always do that and that's when DD's are taken.